Anchorage for frame straightening apparatus



June .10, 1947. R. BECZKER k I 2,421,981

ANCHORAGE FOR FRAME STkAIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed July l8, 1944 INVENTOR. RALPH W BECKER BY WH/TEHEAD 8. VosL Afforne ys PM ma W4 large: amount of; floorspace and Patented June 10, 1947 ANCHGRAGE 'FORFRAME STREIGHTENENG" JJKPBARATUS.

Ralph W Becker, Denver,

one, assignor .to

. Marcellus S'.;MerrillIDenverfColo. Application July 18, 1944Srial No. 545,512:

4 Claims. (01. 1531-32) This invention relatesato anchorage for frame straightening apparatus and especially towimprovementin means towbe usedv in connection with apparatus for: straightening frames: of; automotive vehicles While such frames. are cold and while; they remain assembledinxthe. vehicle; the improved means providing. anchorage forselected partsof such frame: .toholdzthe same invplace while straighteningziorces. are exerted: upon other portions of such frame.

Such frame straightening; apparatusis usually positioned; on .theifloor of a shop; or: garage and surrounding, :onvinthe rimw-of; work-pit in: such floor. Anchoringmeans :have been heretofore provided at oi -adjacent the; outer :parts of such apparatus. :The present invention relates-to improvement in suchzanchorage; means.

:It' will he: understood that in straightening such fnamesszwhileaeold; highpressures are required, running to 30' and 140 tons in heavy; work. To hol a-portion of the vframein place as against such pressures; great ist engthdsrequired in; the anchorage. This strength could be provided :for by permanently embedding a, pluralityofanchors at various points about the-apparatus 'but: suoh permanently positioned anchors would appropriate,;,and= exclude-from use-for other purposes; a

would, also materially interfere with workmen and the useot appliances during the straightening operation,-. as

well as in: the positioning ,of the: work and-adjustment of ithe anpanatus for such operation.

'An' object of. the present-"invention ls :towproviaan: anchorage which shall: have" the-required strength? flout-. which shall occupy floor space; and interfere with workmen and appliances onlyv at .fthe. point; or pointsxwhere such; anchorage: is required for-the particular straightening operation being, performed; and thenaonly: duringipreparation I for and; performance of. such :particular operation.

Other objects are tic-provide; in ISAfiOOI} an improved mounting for: an anchor. otxthe classifiescrihed alongl which such anchorrshalhbe adjiustable. and into and fromi which "it: may be readily inserted and/or removed 1 and: which: :shall' not interferewith on occupy floorspace whenathe anchor is not -positioned therein and whichesh-all have. the required :strength to providean anchor of sufficient strength flout of extremesimplicity, lightness, andeconomy and whichishall be adapted to floe readily inserted in, adjusted along and removed from 'sucmmounting andwhich shall have -improved adjusting means: within: itself.

These objects and purposes:- will: mercifully 1 partially iltustrat edand thatlthey' ztop'iaflushuwi-tli thmfloor Hand is parallel 1 withtthe adjacent. rim of the-pit or "side 211333262123 and further objects; and purposes will appeari in" the :following- Specification including. the definition-thereof in the appended. claims, and to :these ends therinvention comprises certain nonelr-zconstnmtionsr combinations, and warran meats; "mar-tapas; WiIIEjHOWJbGJdBSGIiibGd and maimed; ihav-ing: reference to ,the illustration in .the-zaccompanying drawing of the preferred emhoiiiment ottheginvention.

b'Figu. 1: is;,.a;.side elevation: of th anchor: positioned imtheimountingand sh wing the; mounting insection; also showing a :fragmentofi an anchoring,

ri figai 2:115; a planwiew onthe structure sh wn t Fig. 1, the chain being omitted.

ZEiglt 3tis; auoonventionar plan, of apit with: ad- :iacentw anchor "mountings; a frame 1 being indicated: in: broken lines-andanchors ,beingindioated .asupositioried in the :mounting& at: the ends:- of the pit-;.tthe.lchiain connections hetvvjeen the an tehor's. and .iraime being vindicated inv dotted lines.

The? invention isiiil-lustrated, andpwi-ll Hoe :deseribedinas use adjacent a.- pit inv or over-which the straightening apparatus is locatedflbuhias ralbove'stated, it may iberinstallect and. used. adiacent anyrframesstnaigthening apparatus. .It will be understoodthat at Fig.13 rails and 2 areonly Drefieralblhmxtendlfor the mlaiompart .orallyoi the lengthmof the straighteninga paratus.

Irwin -=be :und'erstood thatthe floor i in which the/mounting embedded- Will ordinarily be, of eonoretezaand :properly reinforced .to. take the strains and stresses. imposed upon it in the contemplated operations. Any floor, having thereiquiredustrenzgthkand inwhich the mountingncan rails :ha've :ztheir: bases suitably anchored intoi' the floor; material as i 'by bolts: 3. Hail l; is, itself, embedded "in stherrfloor material" with-its t substantially :or; end ofaithe apparatus, asmthe ,casemambe. nan 2* is;substantially:rcoeplanar with rail, Maut lsuitahlyz-xspaoediztherefitomwaway ,irom;.the: pit

and is not itself embedded in the floor material in the manner of rail l, but is positioned in a channel 4 the walls of which are spaced from rail 2, preferably by inclining the walls outwardly and upwardly as clearly shown at the left at Fig. l. The spacing between rail 2 and the channel wall 4a on the side of the rail away from the pit permits engagement of the rail by a hook depending from the anchor as later described. The space between channel wall 4b, nearer the pit, provides for the bracing of rail 2 as will now be described.

In order to suitably brace rail 2 the wall 42) is inclined as above described and the floor of the channel is cut somewhat below the base of the rail as at 4c and an angle iron 5 is seated against wall 412, with the edge of one of its flanges seated in the cut 40 wherein it contacts the base of rail 2 as clearly shown, and the edge of its other flange top of the rail. Thus the top of rail 2 is strongly braced against any pressure exerted on the top of the rail in the directions toward the pit.

Mountings constructed as just described are positioned in the floor substantially parallel with and at convenient suitable distance from each end of the pit and substantially parallel with and alon the sides of the pit at convenient suitable distance therefrom. It will be noted that the mounting makes no break in the floor except for the two small spaces on each side of the rail 2 within the channel 4 which spaces are not of a width sufiicient to interfere with the use of the floor for any purposes for which such floor is customarily used.

The anchor is substantially triangular having two of its sides interrelatively right angled, one of said sides, preferably the shorter, comprising the base, as clearly shown at Fig. 1. The anchor is formed of a substantially T-shaped rim with web 5 and flanges I, the flanges being widened at and adjacent the two ends of the base as at 8. Suitable bracing members 9 are provided, which may conveniently be extensions of the web 6. The widened flanges 8 at the front of the base are projected downwardly below the general plane of the base to form an elongated bearing l0, adapted to rest upon and slide alon rail I, while the widened flanges 8 at the rear end of the base are extended downwardly and formed into a hooked pendant H adapted to hook under and against the rear top flange of rail 2, the underside of the base being adapted to rest upon and slide along the top of rail 2, all as clearly shown at the left at Fig. 1.

It will be Seen from the foregoing description and the drawing that the elongated bearings on rails I and 2 provided by the widening of flanges 8, together with the elongated hooked pendant l I, provide a seat for the anchor on the mounting which affords great strength and also serves to seat the anchor solidly in upright position on the mounting while still leaving the anchor free to he slid along rails l and 2 to any desired position. It will also be seen that by tipping the anchor on rail 2 away from rail 1 the hooked pendant ll may be readily disengaged from rail 2 whereupon the anchor becomes wholly separated from the mounting and may be positioned in another mounting or put aside, out of the way, as desired, leaving the floor space around the pit free for any other desired use.

The method of seating the anchor on the mounting is, obviously, very simple. The anchor being tipped, to the left as viewed at Fig. 1,

the rail and the fits snugly against the will be seated on the top of rail 2 and the anchor ,may then be slid to the right until the pendant embodiment, or

engages rail 2 in the manner illustrated at Fig. l whereupon the anchor will be seated in operative position.

Suitable means are provided for engagement of chain C with the anchor at any desired height such means comprising a yoke l2, slidably engaged to flanges l of the vertical rear side of the anchor as by flanges l3, rearwardly projecting flanges l4 being provided to retain chain C in engagement with the yoke which carries a lug 15 with set screw [6 for securing the yoke to the anchor at any desired height. It will be noted 1' that flanges l are cut away at the top as at 1a whereby the yoke may be slid out of the top of the anchor and disengaged therefrom.

When a pull is exerted on chain C, by reason of pressures exerted on the frame during the straightening operation, the anchor will bear heavily on rail I through bearing l9 and will pull upwardly and forwardly on rail 2 through hooked pendant ll. Under such conditions the tendency is for the top of rail 2 to move forward and upward. The upward movement is prevented by anchored bolts 3 and the forward movement is prevented by angle iron 5 which is seated solidly against wall 41) with its lower flange engaged under rail 2 in cut 40 and its upper flange solidly seated against both the top of rail 2 and the under side of the base of the anchor at the junction of such top and base as clearly shown at the left at Fig. 1.

It will be understood that many changes in detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described and illustrated, in preferred as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Anchorage for automotive frame straightening apparatus comprising a pair of parallel rails secured in the floor surrounding, and parallel with the adjacent side of, such apparatus, a channel in the floor for the rail more distant from the apparatus, said rail being secured to the bottom of said channel, the wall of the channel nearer the apparatus being inclined, an angle iron brace having the edges of its flanges respectively contacting the top and bottom of said rail and one of its walls seated upon said inclined wall and an anchor having a detachable sliding engagement with the far side of said more distant rail and slidably seated on the top of the nearer rail.

2. Anchorage for automotive frame straightening apparatus comprising a pair of parallel rails secured in the floor surrounding, and parallel with the adjacent side of, such apparatus, a substantially triangular anchor adapted to slidingly rest upon said rails and to engage the rail more distant from said apparatus upon the side thereof more distant from the apparatus, the side of said anchor more distant from the apparatus rising substantially vertically and a member adjustable along said vertical side and adapted to engagement by means for connecting the anchor with an automotive frame positioned for straightening by said apparatus.

3. Anchorage for automotive frame straighten- 7 upon said rails and to engage the rail more distant from said apparatus upon the side thereof more distant from the apparatus, the frame of said anchor being formed of material which is T-shaped in section with the Web of T projectinginwardly of said frame, the flanges of the T being substantially widened at and adjacent their points of contact with said rails whereby to form elongated seats for said anchor on said rails.

4. Anchorage for automotive frame straightening apparatus comprising a pair of parallel rails secured in the floor urrounding, and parallel with the adjacent side of, such apparatus, a substantially triangular anchor adapted to slidingly rest upon said rails and to engage the rail more distant from said apparatus upon the side thereof more distant from the apparatus, the frame of .said anchor being formed of material which is T-shaped in section with the web of the T projecting inwardly of said frame, the Webs of said T members being extended across said frame at selected points to form cross braces for said frame.

RALPH W. BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,303,824 Senical May 13, 1919 1,401,271 Miller Dec. 27, 1921 1,944,054 Ackerman Jan. 16, 1934 1,648,012 Breyley Nov. 8, 1927 1,749,806 Fisher Mar. 11, 1930 1,785,923 Wade Dec. 23, 1930 

